Deceived
by The Official Demonator
Summary: Luciana Hill has been married for five years, but like every relationship, there are rough patches that take time to get through. Especially if you're actually married to your husband's Hummer and you only just found out half a decade later. Ratchet/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note- I looked it up and guess what? Ratchet counts as a real first name for a boy! So, in this story, Ratchet will not have a 'codename'. He is still going to be Ratchet.**

**p.s.- I know what I'm naming my first child if it's a boy... ;)**

**p.s.s.- The others will have codenames, but don't worry, I'll be sure to mention who is who in the actual story.**

**Minor fluff warning! xD**

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><p>Luciana Hill's eyes lifted up and away from the book she was reading and she smiled at the front door. Walking in, was Ratchet, her husband of about five years. She closed the book and placed it gently on the couch's arm rest. Folding one leg over the other, she leaned her head back and allowed him to kiss her softly.<p>

"Hey," she grinned when he pulled away. "How was work?"

He shrugged, "Same as it usually is. We haven't really had much activity lately," he sighed, setting his bags and jacket down on the floor next to the couch. "How are things?"

She shrugged, too. "Same as it usually is," she repeated with a wink. "I read some stuff here and there, cleaned a little, went for a walk, came home, read some more.."

He shook his head with a laugh. "You have a car. Go out and do something with your friends."

She laughed out loud. "Have you _seen_ gas prices?"

"Well, anytime you want to use _my_ vehicle when I'm home, you're more than welcome," he replied, not even thinking about what he had said until she commented on it.

"Did you just hear what I said about gas prices?" She chuckled, standing up from the couch to head in the dining room.

He mentally slapped himself. It was so easy to forget. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking," he paused and frowned when she nodded her head at him.

"You tend to do that a lot," she joked, pushing a finger in his side.

Smirking, he grabbed her and she squealed and giggled as he pulled her in close. "I got you now," he played. He could feel her body relax and his arms did the same. Her hands reached up and rested against his forearms. He craned his neck down so his lips could trace the side of her face.

Turning her head, she smiled into his lips. Pulling away slowly, her smile remained even as he released her from his soft hold. "I don't know how you always manage to do that."

"Do what?" He asked, but the crooked smile on his face told her he knew what she was talking about.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "_Always_ manage to just _sweep_ me off my feet and make me feel special."

"You're wrong," he told her. Before she could ask what, how or why, he had lifted her up into his arms bridal style. "_This_ is me sweeping you off your feet."

"Oh, my _God,_" she laughed, rolling her eyes once more, her face just a little red. Her arms were tightly around his neck to hold herself up. "Stop it. Put me down!" She laughed.

Grinning triumphantly, Ratchet did as told and gently placed her back on her feet. She shook her head and walked in to the kitchen. He followed her. Opening the fridge, she grabbed a bottled water and shut the door. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"I was kinda in the mood for the chicken parmesan. It's in the oven already. That okay?" She asked, walking by him to head back to the living room.

He nodded, "Whatever you feel like making, sweetspark." He flinched once the word came out of his mouth. He had meant to say sweet'heart', but the un-familiarization of the word kept him from doing so. He bit his lips, waiting for her to question the word.

Instead, he was surprised to see that she didn't. She only laughed and sat back down on the couch. Grabbing the television remote, she turned the screen on and flipped through random channels.

Sighing with relief, Ratchet went to sit down next to her. Before he could do so, the phone rang. "I'll get it," he sighed, turning back around to reach for the cordless, black phone. The orange screen lit, showing a familiar number. With a deep breath, he answered. "Yes, _Jimmy_?"

Luciana smiled faintly at his tone, shaking her head with her eyes still glued to the television.

_"Medic, what in the pit are you doing? I thought you would be at the slagging base later today,"_ came the gruff response.

Looking back at Luciana, Ratchet made sure Luciana wasn't watching him and he walked back to the kitchen. "I thought I told you to use the comm link?" He growled back, making sure to keep his tone low. "You know you can't call this phone and use that language, Ironhide."

_"Yeah, yeah," _Ironhide sighed. _"Calm down. We need you back on base."_

"For _what_?" Ratchet asked, walking back in the living room. Luciana focused her attention on him. "What happened now?"

_"Sideswipe's still not doing good. His systems keep rebooting," _Ironhide replied. _"Last mission took a toll on him. Which is _why_ I called you on this phone. You know.. so Luci doesn't get suspicious."_

Ratchet sighed and wiped a hand down his face. "Alright. I'll be down in an hour."

_"See you then,_"

Ratchet hung up and placed the phone back on the receiver angrily. He groaned, just standing there without moving for a few seconds. "Everything okay?" Luciana asked.

Ratchet shook his head and turned to face her. "No. One of my patients is having trouble again. I'll have to go back down to the medical facility after dinner."

"Oh," her face dropped enough for Ratchet to notice. She was upset, and he knew it. "That's alright." She stood up. "I'll go check on it. It should be done in about ten minutes."

Before she could walk by him, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stopped her. Looking her in the eyes, he spoke, "I'm sorry about this, Luci," he frowned. "I _will_ make it up to you."

She smiled. "That's okay, Ratchet. It's not your fault."

Placing a hand on her cheek, he gently ran his thumb back and forth. After staring into one another's face for a few seconds, he finally let her go and she turned to head for the kitchen without another word coming from either of their mouths.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey look! Two updates in one night! :P**

**Author's Note: First I'd like to say thanks for the reviews! I wasn't expecting such a quick response! :D Means a ton to me! Second, I'd like to say that there will be some 'weird' things happening in this story. You'll find out one of them in this chapter. If you don't understand, there will be an explanation at the end of this chapter so I don't spoil it for you right now. :P**

**Thanks again!**

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><p>"Dinner was amazing," Ratchet said quickly, picking up his bags after throwing on his light jacket. As he passed the couch to head for the front door, he bent down and kissed Luciana's cheek. "I'll be home after midnight. Again, I'm so sorry, love."<p>

She smiled faintly, "I told you it was okay. We can celebrate tomorrow morning, okay?"

He smiled, running a hand through her hair before standing straight. "Okay." With one final look, Ratchet turned away and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

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><p>Ratchet shuffled in his seat as he tried his hardest to focus on the road before him. His hands clenched the wheel. He could feel his tank churning and he groaned, shuttering his eyes. Oh, it was going to be another messy night.<p>

Finally, his turn came and he drove past the gates, which had opened for him, welcoming him back to his hell-hole. He sighed when he saw Ironhide, in bipedal mode, waiting outside the med bay. He deactivated his holoform and it wasn't until he got closer to the black-painted mech did he see Sideswipe sitting on the ground. He looked knocked out cold.

Ratchet knew he was rebooting again.

As the medic pulled closer, he transformed and didn't even bother trying to speak just yet. He knew what was coming. As if on cue, Ratchet bent forward and spit out what looked like _gallons_ of blue liquid; energon. "Ugh," he groaned, shutting his optics tightly.

Ironhide looked concerned. "You need to stop eating human food. You know it's no good for you."

"I'm the _medic_. I think I would know," Ratchet growled back after confirming the energon would no longer be coming out of his systems. "But I can't just _not_ eat in front of her."

"Jee, whose fault is that, mister wizard?" Ironhide scoffed, rolling his optics. He passed another concerned look down to the mech beside him. "Sides is going through his reboot process again. I don't know what the slag that 'Con did to him."

"I might've skipped a step while re-programming his systems," Ratchet admitted. "I had a lot on my mind today."

"Like what?" Ironhide asked, hauling Sideswipe to his feet. The lifeless Autobot slouched against the weapons specialist. Ironhide held him in place.

Ratchet sighed, "Midnight starts mine and Luci's fifth year anniversary," he explained. "And with my calculations, I imagine I won't be getting back home for another few hours. It's already after nine."

"Celebrate when you get home," Ironhide grunted. "You worry too much about these human customs. It's only your fifth year. If she knew how old you _really_ were, then she'd probably have a spark attack."

"_Heart_ attack," Ratchet corrected. "And she _better _not know, Ironhide."

"Whatever," Ironhide shuffled his position as his arm began to tire from holding up the obnoxious patient. "Just hurry up so I can put him somewhere."

Ratchet opened the med bay door and waved a hand. "Follow me." Ironhide did as told and Ratchet pointed to a berth. "Sit him down."

Ironhide did as told. "He'll be fine, right?"

Ratchet sighed and rolled his optics to himself. "_Yeah_, he'll be back to his normal, pranking, obnoxious, lunatic self within the next couple of hours."

"While you're at it, you might wanna pull whatever it is that died out of your tail pipe," Ironhide folded his arms, shooting his cranky friend a glare.

Ratchet had already begun his work on Sideswipe but he had paused to stand up straight and tighten his grip on the wrench that was in his hand. "Get out."

Ironhide smirked. "Just tryin' to get in that thick helm of yours." He turned around, heading for the exit. "Comm me when afthole gets fixed so I can take him through some warm-ups at the firing range."

"_Will do_," Ratchet huffed, getting back to work.

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><p>"Oh, <em>man<em>," Sideswipe groaned, rubbing his head back and forth. "What happened?"

Ratchet tossed his final tool back in the box. His optics were strained with obvious tiredness. He rubbed a metal hand against them and turned to face Sideswipe. "You're systems kept rebooting. I fixed you, though. Although, that processor of yours is permanently damaged."

"Funny," Sideswipe growled sarcastically, jumping down from the berth. "But thanks, doc. How's your chick?"

"My _wife_ is fine," Ratchet corrected with a scowl. "As a matter of fact, I have to get home. I'm exhausted and tomorrow is going to be a long day. I'll see you the day after."

Following Ratchet out of the med bay, Sideswipe watched the medic close and lock the doors. Checking his internal clock, he read that it was almost one in the morning. Knowing Luciana, she would be asleep by now, or too exhausted for anything. he sighed heavily and transformed back into his alternate mode, activating his holoform.

"Alright, see you in a few, then," Sideswipe replied with a final wave, watching the Hummer H2 drive off. With Ratchet pissed off and stressed already, Sideswipe knew it was wise not to make it worse.

**:Ironhide, Sideswipe is fixed. He's all yours. Ratchet out.:**

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><p>Ratchet unlocked and opened the front door, quietly closing it behind him. He could tell from the silence and darkness of the house, Luciana must have been asleep. It was already one-thirty in the morning. He mentally groaned to himself. He felt like such an idiot. He almost hated his job.<p>

Sighing, he placed his bags back on the floor and took his jacket off. When that was done, he went upstairs. Opening the bedroom door, his shoulders slumped at the sight before him. She was fast asleep, the ceiling fan whirling at the highest speed and the television on, muted. Sometimes he wondered how she didn't freeze to death, but he hardly questioned it. She always told him she couldn't sleep without the noise of her fan. He always laughed at her jokingly.

Walking in the room, he closed the door behind him. Maneuvering around the bed and on the other side, he opened the dresser that rested next to it and pulled out a white beater. Removing his top and pants, he replaced his shirt with the beater and tossed his other clothes in a nearby basket. Slowly, he pulled his side of the covers down on the bed and climbed in as gently as possible.

He ran his hands across his face. The one day that came only once a year and he screwed it up. Well, it wasn't entirely his fault, but was he going to admit that? No. He released a puff of air from his nose and closed his eyes.

It wasn't until the feeling of a slender arm wrapping around his chest did he smile for the first time that night. "Ratchet?" Came the muffled voice.

He re-positioned his body on his side, able to see her face just barely from the television light. "I'm here, sweetheart."

She smiled, "I'm glad you're back." Her voice got slightly louder as she began to wake up more. "I missed you."

"I missed you, as well," he replied, placing a soft hand on her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before pulling back away.

"I have a surprise for you tomorrow," Luciana giggled, clearly excited for tomorrow to come.

Ratchet raised an eyebrow. "Surprise, huh? Can I get a hint?"

"_No_," she rolled her eyes, smirking. "Any hint I give will ruin it. You'll just have to be patient."

"You're evil," Ratchet joked, poking her stomach. He froze at that. Of all the time he had poked her stomach, he had never felt the way he did before. What _was_ that feeling? He was about to ask a question, but stopped himself.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking his hand in her own. She entwined her fingers with his and pulled their hands closer to her face. She kissed his skin softly. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I'm okay," he smiled. "Long night, that's all."

"How was your patient?" She asked.

"He'll live,"

She laughed. "_Love_ the enthusiasm, Ratch'."

Ratchet laughed at that. "Sorry. He's one of our more.. arrogant and obnoxious soldiers."

"I see," she chuckled and Ratchet could tell her answers were beginning to shorten.

He watched as her eyes drifted closed, but her smile remained. His lips pulled back into a grin and he moved closer to her. "You're tired. Go to bed, dear. I'll see you in the morning." Leaning in, he kissed her mouth once and pulled away. Without another word, the two slipped away into a deep slumber.

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><p><strong>Okay, so, here's an explanation, because I'm sure I confused at least <strong>_**one**_** person reading this fic. Haha. :P**

**I know that, to some people, it's not possible for a holoform to eat human foods and drink human beverages, but, in this fic, it **_**is.**_** The only consequence is that when Ratchet transforms into bipedal mode, he'll pretty much hack his guts out. Gross, right? It's an idea I've had for a while, so I'm using it. xD So, with that said, that's the way it'll be in this fic.**

**Just a shout out and a warning! Sorry if anybody doesn't like this idea, but it is Fanfiction and I do like to have a little imagination in my stories. :P**

**Thank you once again for your reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Woo! Thank you all for your reviews! Some of you guys had a few questions or 'predictions'. This chapter will give the answer!**

**Sorry, this ones a bit short!**

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><p>Ratchet opened his eyes groggily. The sunlight peaking through the blinds illuminated the entire room. He had never felt more at home on mornings like these. He shut his eyes again and turned on his side, reaching his arm out, expecting to feel the body that had previously rested next to him. He froze when said body wasn't there. His eyes snapped open and he could smell the sweet scent of food being made.<p>

He sighed. He _loved_ Luciana's cooking; the holoforms gave them taste buds as well, but it was his _real_ body that did not agree with it. Energon was all he was physically able to eat/drink. He almost wished he could tell her about his race.

But _why_ couldn't he? He could most definitely _trust_ her, so that wasn't the issue. Perhaps it was because he would think she wouldn't trust _him, _but if that were true, what were they married for? Was human marriage not based on trust and love for your significant other? Or was it just something they _hoped_ for, but didn't often put all the effort required to gain the trust needed?

Either way, he was unsure if she would ever know about him. He wasn't sure what her reaction would be and that's what scared him the most.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He needed that recharge, especially after the long night he'd had yesterday. Climbing out of bed, he quickly got changed into regular clothing and headed downstairs. Sneaking in the kitchen, he smirked when he saw her at the sink, cleaning a skillet. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he pulled her into him. "Happy five years," he kissed her cheek.

She laughed as he loosened his grip. She turned around, putting her hands behind his neck. "Happy five years to you, too." She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed his mouth.

"I could've made breakfast," he told her, frowning playfully. "You do too much work around here."

"You were sleeping, lazy," she scoffed, grinning over at the digital clock that hung on the wall. It was well past twelve in the afternoon. "And _I_ made breakfast for myself three hours ago. That's probably what you're smelling. I'm just cleaning the dishes."

He laughed. "Oh, so I don't get to eat anything?"

"No, silly," she rolled her eyes. "I figured we could go out and get some lunch. I'll pay."

"_I'll_ pay," he corrected. "And that sounds _fantastic._" He kissed her head repeatedly before standing tall again. "When are we going?"

"Right now?" She asked with a shrug. "Whenever."

Before Ratchet could reply, the phone's obnoxious ringing began. With a sigh, Luciana watched as Ratchet went to retrieve it, running a hand through her black, wavy hair. She walked into the room to listen to the conversation.

"Hello?" Ratchet turned around, facing his wife.

_"Ratchet, bad news," _Ironhide's voice sighed on the other end of the line.

Ratchet groaned, closing his eyes. "What happened, Jimmy?"

Ironhide took a deep, heavy breath. _"It's Sideswipe. He's going crazy, literally. He keeps running around in bipedal mode, throwing things. He's trashing the whole base up. Almost killed a few humans in the process. He's not right, still._"

"Are you fragging kidding m-" Ratchet stopped himself mid-sentence and growled into his hand. "I can't _do_ this right now-"

"_We really need you here," _Ironhide almost pleaded. _"He's gonna end up hurtin' himself. I know this was your day off and I know it's an important date, but this is serious. If I could do something about it myself with your absence, I would."_

"What's going on?" Luciana asked, concerned. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were dropped to her sides.

Ratchet did not reply to her. He replied to Ironhide instead. _"_I understand. I'll_.." _he paused. _"_I'll be there."He hung up and slowly, very slowly, placed the phone back on the receiver. He did not turn around to face her.

"Ratchet, is everything okay?" Luciana asked, taking a step closer. "Where will you be?"

Finally, he did turn around. His eyes were full of obvious sorrow. "Luci, I'm sorry. My patient.. he's.. he's still not right. If I don't go back to the medical facility and treat him, he could hurt himself or others."

"Baby, that's _fine_," Luciana smiled faintly. She walked up to him and placed a calm hand on his arm. "I understand that you have patients that you can't control. I get that, okay? If you aren't busy later than we can just go out to dinner or something. If not, then we can always postpone until another time. I still need to tell you your surprise though," she added, watching as he quickly grabbed his bags and threw on his jacket.

"Can't you tell me when I get home?" He asked, smiling as he hurriedly dug through his bags, making sure he had everything he'd need.

She shook her head with a chuckle, "_No! _It's important!"

"Just wait until I get home later, okay?" He asked, closing his bags and placing the strap over his shoulder. He went for the door and opened it. "I love you, Luci."

"I love you too, but I really want to tell you that-" the door shut behind him and her shoulders slumped. Her eyes remained glued to the door. "..I'm pregnant."

Sighing heavily, she walked over to the couch and sat herself down. She could hear the soft engine of the Hummer as it pulled out of the parking spot and drove down the road, sirens blaring. She closed her eyes and rubbed two fingers against her right-side temple. She wanted him to know so badly. She'd been waiting to tell him since yesterday. Now, it was ruined.

Of course, she did understand that he had a job and with a job like his, came _extreme_ responsibility. She got that. What she didn't get, was how she had messed up telling him. She should've told him while she had the chance. She should've told him last night.

But she didn't. She waited too long and this is what she got for it.

Then an idea hit her and her eyes widened. She could surprise him at work? Maybe? She could plan something with Jimmy, who she knew since she met Ratchet. He was nice. One of her favorite people. She knew where Ratchet worked, but she had never actually gone there herself.

It was worth a shot _and_ if she decided not to tell him right then and there, it could also be her chance to just say hello to all her other friends, too. She smiled. It was such a good idea.

Stomach flipping in excitement, she ran upstairs, grabbed her jacket and car keys and dashed back downstairs. Opening the front door, she stepped outside, closing it and locking it behind her before continuing to her car.

After climbing inside her 2002 candy-apple red Monte Carlo SS, she closed the door, started the engine and drove out of the parking spot.

Her next stop: Ratchet's work.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm going to respond to reviews!**

**Lunar Mist- Hahah i agree with you! It's gonna be a hell-hole! And yes, although I don't really mention it, she **_**has**_** met some of the Autobots before. For example- Jimmy aka Ironhide, who acts as Ratchet's best friend from work. :P She's also met a couple others who I will mention briefly in this chapter. :) Thanks for the review!**

**hermy104- Thank you! It means a lot!**

**FantasyAddiction- Thank you so much! I agree with you 100%! Ratchet can be a dumb-aft sometimes! ;P**

**Amai Seishin-Hime- Haha, thank you! :) Lmao, yeah, I tried not to make it too obvious! ;P Guess I failed! xD Hahahah well maybe there will be something similar to the picture you got in your head in this chapter!**

**KuroIchi30866- Read and fine out. ;) And I will explain how the baby thing works in future chapters! Thank you for the review!**

**Dawn Racer- Thank you! Glad you think so!**

**MissShelz- Thanks for the review! :D Haha, you'll have to read and find out! ;)**

**RomonaFlowersTwinSister- Thanks for the review!**

**SamAP- Thanks a ton! I'm so happy you like it! Everything will being to unfold soon. ;)**

**Thank you all, again!**

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><p>Ratchet growled at the mech tied up before him. Sideswipe looked up at him innocently. "What the hell did I do wrong?" Sideswipe asked.<p>

Ratchet looked full of disbelief. "You're joking, right? I came _all_ the way down here to base, thinking that you were glitching again, and it turns out this was a _prank_ to make me _think_ that something was still wrong? And you don't know what you _did wrong?"_

"You don't have to keep me tied up!" He growled back.

Ratchet glared, getting in his face. "Do you have _any_ idea what today is? Do you?"

"No," Sideswipe said after a long pause. "What is today?"

"It's my fifth year anniversary with Luciana, you idiot!" He snapped, throwing the wrench on the nearby bench. It was the same one that was the cause for the dent on Sideswipe's helm.

"Slag," Sideswipe looked around nervously. "Uh, I didn't know, Ratch'- I'm.. sorry?"

Ratchet glared hard for a moment. Then, his optics softened and he sighed. "Whatever. It's.. just.. whatever." He began to untie the cocky mech from his bonds. When Sideswipe was free, he shoo'ed him out of the med bay. "Just leave."

Without another word, Sideswipe did as he was told. When the med bay door shut, Ratchet ran a hand down his face and groaned. Now he had to go back home and explain to his wife. Well, he turned to look at a nearby clock, maybe he could stay there for a few more minutes and release some stress in some peace and quiet first.

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><p>Luciana was stopped at a red light, anxiously waiting for it to turn green so she could continue her journey to the hospital that Ratchet told her he worked at. She looked over to her right and noticed a large, opened, iron gate. She had seen the place before. It was some military base of some sort.<p>

She usually thought nothing of it, but when she saw a familiar black GMC Topkick C4500 with the massive, silver smoke-stacks, she knew there was only _one_ person around there who owned one. Jimmy.

Putting on her right turn signal instead, she made sure the coast was clear and she turned into the long driveway of the base. Parking next to the iron beast, she shut down her car's engine and got out. Closing the door, she began her walk deeper in the base. It was _huge._ Every building was the size of a Boeing hangar and the doors were even bigger. She wondered _why_ the military would need doors that big. As a matter of fact, she wondered _why_ nobody was guarding that gate she had just come through.

Shaking it off, she knew she had a somewhat right for being there and she continued. She walked by other buildings, examining their structures. She noticed that the large doors had smaller ones built inside them. She wondered why they would need the bigger ones, anyway.

She walked by a few soldiers, who didn't seem to really notice her presence. If they did, they probably assumed she was one of them.

She continued her walk.

It wasn't until she reached a building with a massive red cross painted at the top did she finally stop her walking. It reminded her so much of Ratchet. She missed him badly. She almost wished he was here with her. She understood that he had a job that required his full attention, but sometimes, she wished he was all hers. She could admit she had a little bit of greed and jealousy, but she just loved him so much. How could she _not_?

She examined the smaller door, having the urge to walk forward, twist the doorknob and walk in. It couldn't hurt, could it? Maybe Jimmy would be in there, or somebody else she knew? She shrugged mentally. It was worth a shot.

She walked forward, reaching her hand out to grip the doorknob. She twisted the metal ball firmly and was about to push it open when a voice stopped her. "Luci, don't open that!" She snapped her head in the direction of the voice. It was Jimmy, running towards her.

Before she could ask why, she heard a loud creaking and, surprised, turned to see what was going on. She backed away, her eyes wide, as the massive door began to open rather violently.

She gasped in utter shock at what stood before her. A giant, tall, greenish mechanical _being_ stood a full height of about twenty-four feet in front of her. She fell down on her backside and frantically tried to crawl away. The robot looked down at her, his optics widening in obvious shock.

"Luciana?" he gasped, taking a panicked step backwards.

Luciana's hand shot up to her mouth. She could recognize that voice from anywhere. Was she hearing things? She had to have been. There was _no_ way that he was.. she paused. Those eyes. So blue. She definitely recognized those. This was impossible.

It was all beginning to make sense. Jimmy was here, this building that was in front of her was clearly a medical facility of some sort and a _giant_ robot was staring her down in the face with a familiar voice _and_ blue eyes.

She cried out, unable to control herself. "_Ratchet_?" She jumped to her feet and spun around, hands to her head, frantically repeating over and over again, "No, no, no. I'm dreaming. This is all a dream. I went to sleep without realizing it after Ratchet left. I'm dreaming. This isn't real. Jimmy's not really here. It's somebody else. Oh _God_," she groaned, on the verge of tears. Her breathing got heavier. Her heart was racing.

Why wouldn't she wake up?

"Luci, please, stop," she heard Ratchet's voice tell her. She tried to ignore him. She closed her eyes. There was no use in calling this experience a dream. It was all too real. All too real..

Suddenly, burning with rage, she turned around. She wasn't sure what had prompted her to do this, but she began to yell. "No! _You_ stop! Whatever the hell you are! How could you lie to me? Huh, Ratchet? All these years you kept this _secret_ from me!"

He looked shocked. "Luci, I-"

"I can't believe I'm.. I'm _pregnant_ with a robot's _child_," she ran her fingers through her hair and gripped her roots tightly, staring down at the ground.

Ratchet looked up at Ironhide... but when her words finally hit him, he froze and stared back down at her. "W-what did you say?"

"Oh, _slag,_" Ironhide aka Jimmy, groaned.

"I said I'm pregnant!" Luciana snapped harshly, glaring up at him. She tried her best to stand up to her fears. Her hands were shaking nervously, but instinct told her he would not harm her. "That's what I was going to tell you. _That _was your surprise."

Ratchet reeled back in surprise. At first, to Luciana, he looked as if he were about to pass out, but then, to her surprise, he smiled. "That's.. Luci, this is _wonderful_ news! I- hold on a second," realizing that he was still in bipedal mode, he decided it was time to transform and activate his holoform to at least try and make her feel more comfortable.

When he transformed into the familiar Hummer H2, she gasped. "_What_? You're the _Hummer?_" She froze. "I-I- I'm married to the... the _freakin' Hummer_?"

"Oh, boy," Ironhide sighed. _This_ is what Ratchet had gotten himself into.

A few soldiers had stopped to watch the commotion. Even a few other Autobots had joined in. Luciana didn't seem to notice them as she continued. Ratchet's holoform appeared before her eyes. "You're not even real?"

Ratchet reached his hands out in a gesture to calm her down. "Luci, you're going through shock. I need you to calm down for me. Please."

"No, this is.." she shook her head, pausing to think of what to say. "This is violating a _serious_ norm. This is.. like.. violating a _taboo. _I'm going to face revulsion.."

"Luciana," Ratchet almost looked hurt. "No, you won't. Please stop."

"I'm going to face _sanctions!_" She continued, not really seeming to hear him. Her face was ghostly white, bringing out her dark hair. She fell to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm married to the Hummer. The Hummer. I'm.. married," she paused, staring at the ground with a confused facial expression. "To the.. Hummer?"

"Luci," Ratchet repeated her name for what seemed like the billionth time. "You aren't violating any norms or taboos. You will not face any kind of sanction. You are my wife and I am your husband. We've been married for five, _wonderful_ years. I have not changed and neither have you. Do you hear me?"

That was when she looked up at him and that was when his spark sank when he saw her tear-filled eyes and streaked face. What had he done?

"But.. you _lied_ to me," she said through gritted teeth. She was trembling, but he couldn't tell if it was because she was angered or if it was because she was still scared. "We're married God _damn_ it!"

He closed his eyes and directed his head downward. "I know," he sighed. "I do. I realize this, but I couldn't risk.. us. I didn't want you to leave me because I'm some.. some.. _alien_ from space."

"You're from space?" She whispered, her eyes widening in shock. "Like.. _outer_ space? A different planet?"

He nodded, "Yes. Jimmy," he directed a hand towards Ironhide's holoform. "He is just like me. His truck, you know, the black one that you like, is just like me. His real name is Ironhide. My boss, Peter, who drives the Peterbilt, is just like me. His real name is Optimus Prime. Steve-"

"What about _your_ real name?" She glared. "Is that a lie, too?"

Again, he furrowed his eyebrows in a hurt expression. "No, my real name _is_ Ratchet. I'm the Chief Medical Officer of this base."

"Why are you telling me all of this now?" Luciana growled.

Ratchet was expecting her sudden mood change. She was pregnant, just discovered that her husband is actually his _car_ and that he is from outer space. She had a right to be angry. "Because," he blinked. "I love you and I want to be honest with you. I don't want to lie or hide secrets anymore. I don't want to hurt you like I've already done. Just because I am not from here doesn't mean I am a different person."

"But _my_ _feelings_ are different," she blurted rather unexpectedly.

Everybody was silent as they continued to watch. Ratchet's spark beat faster. "What.." he stuttered and some soldiers thought he was about to cry himself. "What are you saying?" His voice had grown slightly higher in pitch and sounded more panicked.

She stood up, wiping her eyes. She turned away. "I'm saying that I need time by myself," she replied and then added after a second thought, "to think." She began to walk away, feeling the tears re-forming in her eyes once more. She did not look back. She couldn't.

"Lu-Luci!" Ratchet called to her, about to run after her, but his feet could not move. It was as if he were glued in place. "Luci, please!"

It was no use. Everybody's eyes softened at the scene that played before them. Obvious sorrow inscribed on all their faces. She kept walking and all he could do was watch.

* * *

><p><strong>Sad scene! :( I hated writing this!<strong>

**Yeah, I decided to make the Sideswipe thing just a prank, because my original idea was just not gonna work the way I wanted it to. xD Sideswipe's just a big afthole! He's back to his shenanigans again. *grins and rolls eyes***

**Hope it was still good!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, it's a bit short!**

* * *

><p>When Luciana got home, she couldn't help but cry her eyes out. She didn't even make it out of the car. She just sat in the driver's seat, sobbing. Her forehead rested against the top of the steering wheel. Her jeans were getting wetter with each tear. She was shaking.<p>

All she wanted was for her life to be normal again. Normal, meaning where Ratchet _wasn't_ known to her as an alien robot from another planet. Normal, meaning she was married to the man of her dreams and about to have a child with him by the end of the year.

Just _normal._

But normal was far from what she was getting. She shivered, the cold starting to get to her. Her cell phone rang frantically in her pocket and she checked the screen. Butterflies formed in her stomach when she saw Ratchet's number. She desperately wanted to answer it and tell him to come home to her, but she knew she needed some time away first.

Could she really leave him?

No.

After all, he _did_ admit to everything and he had begun to tell her the truth. She just wished he would've done it earlier. Then again, maybe he was right. Maybe earlier would've been too early in the relationship and she would've left him permanently. Who knew?

She sighed and tossed the phone on the passenger seat. It finally stopped ringing and the screen went dark. Not even five seconds later and it lit up again, this time showing Jimmy's number.. or.. whoever he really was. Still, she did not answer it.

Deciding it was time to go back in the house, she gathered her things, including her phone and opened the car door. Locking her doors, she headed for her house. When she got inside, she sat everything on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. She rested her head back, closing her eyes.

She checked the time. It was only about three in the afternoon. She felt so exhausted and it was already a long day. More tears escaped her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. She decided to turn on the television, but, when she did, she realized nothing good was on and she soon shut it off.

It was too quiet in the house without Ratchet. She reached for her cell phone but stopped herself. She needed to do this. If he was willing to make things right again, he would have to come to her. He needed time alone with his thoughts. She would give it a day or two before she hoped he would come to the house, but she wasn't really expecting anything.

It was up to him from here. She wasn't doing it to be selfish. She was doing it for them. It was difficult to easily forgive him, as much as she wanted to.

As if her thoughts were being read, the doorbell rang. She jumped at first, but then stood up from the couch. She lifted up the blind that covered the door's window and looked outside. Sure enough, Ratchet stood there.

With a sigh, she opened the door.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I said I needed time alone."

"And I thought I said I want to make things right," he replied back, his voice smooth and calm.

She looked away at that. She could feel the water forming in the corners of her eyes again. It was taking all her strength not to let him inside and just hug him. She wanted to be stronger than that. "What if you can't?"

"If you let me in, I can explain to you more about my customs," he offered. "I can help you understand my species more. I want to be there for you more than my words can describe; I really do." He stepped closer, the screen door dividing them from each other. "Please. Just give me another chance."

"You should have told me all of this _before_ we got married," she snapped, folding her arms.

Ratchet's look did not harden. It remained the same. "Would you have stayed with me if I had?" Her eyes softened and she looked away. He sighed. "May I come in?"

She stood there for a few seconds, contemplating. Then, slowly, she turned around and walked back deeper in the house. Ratchet opened the door with caution. Stepping in, he closed both doors behind him, setting his bags and jacket on the floor like he usually did.

"I don't know what you can say that's going to help," she told him flatly.

He paused for a moment and blinked. "I just want your trust again." He paused once more before continuing. "Back on my home planet, Cybertron, we don't necessarily get married. We bond. Bonding is similar to a human marriage, except it's forever. There is no such thing as a divorce," he explained and Luciana found herself listening intently. "We are not used to being walked out on after the bond is completed. When I married you, I wanted to tell you, but fear that you would leave me made me not say a word."

"Well you're married here," she told him. "Divorce is optional."

"For me," he began. "It's not."

She widened her eyes at this. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I consider our marriage a bond," he explained. "I never want to divorce you." He stepped closer. "_Ever_. I'll teach you everything there is to know about my race as long as it means we'll still be together. Just because I am from a different planet doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Ratchet, I _really_ need time to think about all of this," Luciana replied. "I just don't know what to do anymore. This is really hitting me harder than it seems. I appreciate that you're willing to share with me your customs and how you all function, but I just need time _alone_."

"Okay," Ratchet nodded, to her surprise. "Okay, I understand. When do you want me to come back?"

There was a pause. She looked down for a few seconds before raising her eyes back to him. "When and if I call."

"If?" Ratchet repeated. "What does 'if' mean?"

"Please, Ratchet," she closed her eyes, a single crystal tear sliding down her face. "I need to be alone."

He nodded. "I see." He turned around to leave, but stopped. "You remember when you used to be obsessed with Celine Dion's song _Right in Front of You'_?"

Her eyes widened just enough for him to notice, but then they softened again. "Yeah, why?"

"_Think Twice_ by her," was all he said before slowly turning back around and opening the front door. Walking out, he shut it behind him.

She had stood there for minutes after; his words burning through her mind. Think twice? Think twice about what? Then it hit her. A song? Of course, being curious, she walked over to the computer and turned it on. Sitting down in the chair, she waited for it to load.

When it did, she clicked on her user name and waited for the page to load. After that, she opened up the internet program and waited. She typed in 'Think twice by Celine Dion' and sure enough, a YouTube link appeared. She clicked on that next and listened to the song that played.

Of course, she couldn't help but cry.

_Don't think I can't feel that there's something wrong.  
>You've been the sweetest part of my life for so long.<br>I look in your eyes; there's a distant light.  
>And you and I know there'll be a storm tonight.<em>

_This is getting serious.  
>Are you thinkin' 'bout you,<br>or us?_

_Don't say what you're about to say.  
>Look back before you leave my life.<br>Be sure before you close that door.  
>Before you roll those dice,<em>

_Baby, think twice._

* * *

><p><strong>Kinda short! But, I've renamed the story based on Celine Dion's song, Think Twice. I just so happened to click on it on YouTube and my first thought was: Wow, this kinda fits my story!<strong>

**:D BTW, I've made a YouTube trailer for this story!**

**Here is the link if anybody wants to watch it! It kinda sucks cuz I was rushing it. xD**

**http : / www. youtube. com/ watch? v = mI6yYMurt2M**

**Without the spaces, of course!**


	6. Chapter 6

Ratchet sat alone in the med bay. He thought about everything Luciana had told him and the more he did, the lower his spark sank. She had told him that she needed time to think, but what was there to think about?

Either she accepted him for who he was, or she didn't.

He shut his optics and ran a metal hand down his face. Opening them, he looked up at the ceiling and wondered if she was thinking about him as much as he was thinking about her.

* * *

><p>Luciana looked down from the ceiling and sighed. Sitting on her couch all day had grown tiresome and the television was dark, along with the rest of her house. She shifted her position, lifting her legs and feet up on the cushion, and she began to think.<p>

Did she love Ratchet? Yes.

Did she miss him? Clearly.

Did he mean the world to her? No; he meant the Universe.

Could she live without him?... she didn't know.

He's an alien, she's a human. She thought stuff like that only happened in sci-fi movies, but apparently she was wrong.

Was she over-reacting?

She groaned, realizing how difficult this truly was. He hadn't shown any signs of wanting to hurt her. If anything, he was still somewhat human to her. So, _why_ wasn't she calling him, telling him to come over?

She needed more time.

* * *

><p>"Ratchet?"<p>

Ratchet flinched and quickly looked at who had just entered the room. It was Ironhide.

"What?" he replied, his tone hard and dry. Clearly not in the mood to speak.

Ironhide walked in deeper, the door closing behind him. "I came to see how you were doing. There's a lot of talk about what happened."

"I bet there is," Ratchet snapped. He looked down at his desk. He knew Ironhide well enough to know the old mech wasn't going to leave without some answers. "I'm fine. She doesn't want to talk to me right now. Said she needs time to think."

"About?" Ironhide almost snorted, raising an eye ridge while pulling an extra chair up to the desk.

Ratchet shrugged. "About us. If she can live with it or not, I guess."

"Huh," Ironhide sat down. "When are you going to go back and talk to her?"

Again, the medic shrugged. "When and 'if' she calls."

"Well, there's your problem," Ironhide scoffed. "You're wasting time, sitting in here alone and feeling fragging sorry for yourself, when you could be out there trying to get her back."

"She specifically told me that she would make the decision when she's ready-"

"Bah!" Ironhide growled, waving a hand as he stood up. "I can't believe you've been married to a human femme for five years and you _still _don't know _jack_ about 'em."

"Excuse me?" Ratchet blinked and then glared. "I'd bet my ridiculous stash of canned energon that I know more than you do!"

Ironhide turned to leave. "Just stop being a lazy glitch and go talk to her. _That's_ what she's waitin' for. Trust me. If you're ever going to trust me once in your life, do it now."

"Get out," Ratchet rolled his optics.

"I'm serious," Ironhide said, opening the door.

"And _so_ am _I,_" Ratchet growled. Ironhide shook his head and left the med bay without another word. Ratchet groaned into his hands. Why should he listen to Ironhide?

_Well, he's only been a good friend to you since Primus knows how long._

"Shut up," Ratchet told himself, rubbing his forehead angrily.

_Just do it, you old slagger._

"And why should I?" The medic growled, hardly realizing he was talking to himself.

There was a chuckle deep inside his mind. _You love her. Should there be another reason?_

Ratchet froze. Should there be? He shook his head. "Of course not. There could never be another reason." He stood up with all the strength he could muster. "It's worth another shot." He paused, expecting to hear the voice again. "Hello? Slaggit, I need to have a few cups of energon after this.."

Standing up, he headed for the door.

* * *

><p>Luciana examined herself in the mirror, determining if she wanted to wear that black and white summer dress or the plain blue one resting on her bed. After contemplating the tough decision for a few moments, she finally went with the one she was already wearing. After touching up her hair and makeup a few more times, her phone suddenly began to vibrate. She picked it up to look at the screen and frowned. It was Ratchet. With a deep sigh, she placed it back on the dresser and stared at it until it stopped vibrating and the screen went dark.<p>

Suddenly, the screen lit again just a few seconds later and she picked the phone up, examining the caller ID. She bit her lip for a second before pressing the green button. She placed it to her ear and smiled. "Hey, Mike. Yeah, I'm ready. We're meeting the others there, right? Okay, that sounds great. I'll see you outside."

Hanging up, she grabbed her purse that was on her bed, tossed the phone inside, grabbed a few dollars just in case, put her shoes on and headed down the steps. After she put her jacket on, she opened the front door and waved at the man waiting in his car just at the bottom of the front yard staircase.

When she got down to the side walk, she opened the passenger door and smiled, climbing in the car. "Hey!"

He grinned back. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, closing the door. "Yup, all ready."

"Alrighty, here we go," he chuckled, pressing on the gas. The car obliged and went forward slowly, gradually picking up speed until they could no longer be seen down the road.

Ratchet slowly pulled out of his hiding spot. His holoform frowned in the driver's seat. Who was that man? More importantly, _why_ was his _wife_ going out with that man?

Pressing on his own gas, he lurched forward, determined to get some answers.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, wow! Luciana, what the hell?<strong>

**You'll all have to find out what's going on next chapter!**

**I knowwww, it's short! But I promise the next one will be longer!**

**Thank you all for the reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

Ratchet sped down the road, not even caring about half of the stop signs he came across. He knew what he was doing was against the law, but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding Luciana and figuring out who the stranger that picked her up was.

Finally he caught up with the man's car. Thankfully there were other cars between them, so he couldn't be easily spotted if she happened to look back. He pressed on and continued the pursuit.

A few minutes later and he was watching as his car pulled into a restaurant parking lot. He checked the time- it was about seven in the evening. He pulled into a parking lot across the street from the restaurant and watched carefully. He watched as the man known as Mike- a tall guy in formal wear and blonde hair- got out first and jogged around his car to open the door for Luciana.

A pang of jealousy hit Ratchet as he saw her smile as she stepped out of the vehicle and thanked him. They both began walking towards the doors of the restaurant and as soon as they got inside, that's when Ratchet drove over to the parking lot. He pulled up next to the man's car.

"Hmph," Ratchet rolled his eyes. "Must think he can get what he wants from her because he's got a Mercedes-Benz," He drove criticizing circles around the sleek and silver C63 AMG Sedan. An almost sixty-thousand dollar car. A 6.3L V-8, manual tranny.. who did he think he was?

Cutting his engine, Ratchet opened his door and hopped down. He was going to talk to her right then and there. He slammed his own door, not even caring the slight pain it sent through his systems. He walked through the parking lot and in through the door of the restaurant.

A woman was there to greet him. "Hello, are you with a party?"

"Uh, yes," Ratchet began, calmly. "I'm not sure of the last name but I know they're here."

"Okay, well feel free to go and find them," she replied, smiling.

He nodded. "Thank you." He walked past her and examined the large room. He looked around at everybody sitting down, chatting away to the people they shared a table with. After a few seconds of scanning, he finally locked his eyes on Luciana, who was sitting next to Mike and across from four others. Three girls and one other guy.

A waitress was already getting drink orders as Ratchet walked over to their table. "Okay, so are these all separate checks?"

"No, we're sharing a check," Mike, who Ratchet had witnessed pick up Luciana from their house, spoke.

"Actually," Ratchet began aloud, "That won't be necessary."

Luciana's smiling face quickly frowned when she saw Ratchet walking towards their table at a rather fast and angered pace. "Ratchet- oh no-"

"Oh _no_?" Ratchet repeated. The waitress backed away a few feet. "Luci, what.. what is this?" He looked more than hurt. He looked devastated.

"Ratchet let me explain, please-" Luciana began, but Ratchet cut her off quickly.

"No," He backed away. "I understand. You're angry at me and _this_ is how you solve your problems-" that was when Mike stood up.

"Hey, look, we're all just friends here-"

"You, sit down," Ratchet ordered, pointing to the chair Mike had been previously sitting in. "This is between me and my wife."

Mike let out a cocky laugh and shook his head. "Listen man, if you want to start that, we can at least go outside and settle this the proper way."

"By _all _means, _please_," Ratchet stepped aside and directed a hand to the restaurant's exit. "Let's go."

"Ratchet!" Luciana yelled and stood up. At this point the entire restaurant was silent. "Stop this! Mike is my _friend_! He picked me up so I wouldn't have to drive here! You know, _common courtesy_? I'm sure you have that programmed in your brain somewhere, right? And what the hell is wrong with you? Following me around now?"

Ratchet reeled back a little in surprise. She was _defending_ this man? _Of course she is! She came here with him after all!_

"I was on my way home when I saw him pick you up," Ratchet explained. "I followed because I needed to talk to you."

"I told you I need _time_," She hissed.

"And I can't wait for you to be ready!" He nearly yelled. "Luci, I love you and I'm not going to wait until it's convenient for you to love me back! Don't you understand?"

There was a long pause and the manager to the restaurant had come out to examine the scene. He hadn't said a word yet. He just watched, along with everybody else. Luciana's eyes had begun to water, to Ratchet's surprise. She looked away, her eyes softening.

His spark raced as he waited to hear what she was going to say next. Was it going to be bad? Good? He'd have to wait. He remained silent. Luciana's other friends, who sat at the table, watched carefully. Mike remained standing, but he had moved away a few feet to give Luciana and Ratchet their space.

Finally, she lifted her head so her eyes could look back at Ratchet's. "This is what you're going to do. You're going to leave this restaurant and allow me and my _friends_ to enjoy a nice dinner together. Then, you're going to come back to my house-"

"_Our_ house," Ratchet quickly corrected.

_"The_ house," Luciana shut her eyes and sighed through gritted teeth. "in about two hours and then we're going to talk this over. Are you happy?" She opened her eyes again.

"Yes," he replied, nodding. "I am."

"Now please leave," Luciana said, sitting back down in her chair. Mike slowly did the same. "I'll talk to you later."

Ratchet nodded again and slowly turned around and began to walk away. Even though he wasn't able to talk to her right then and there, he still felt somewhat accomplished to be able to talk to her later. That was all he asked for.

As he walked out in the parking lot, he climbed back in his alternate mode and closed the door. Before he started his engine, he examined the Mercedes-Benz next to him. It was silver and shiny. Also very scratch-able. He gave it a few seconds thought, but then shook his head. It wasn't worth it.

Starting his engine, he pulled out of the parking spot and headed for his home.

* * *

><p>Ratchet had just come out of recharge when the soft sound of an engine followed by a pair of headlights caught his attention. He watched as the car pulled up next to the house and Luciana got out. After saying goodbye to Mike, Ratchet watched as the car drove away. It was pitch black outside the house. Luciana cursed to herself about forgetting to leave the porch lights on as she climbed the steps.<p>

When she got in front of the door, she used her cell phone light to find the right key. She hardly noticed the presence standing behind her. Before she knew it, two strong arms wrapped around her torso and pulled her in. She gasped, dropping the keys and cell phone.

"I'm sorry for everything, Luci," Ratchet's voice whispered in her ear.

She placed a hand on her chest, where her heart would be, and sighed, closing her eyes. "You scared the hell out of me, Ratchet."

"I'm sorry," he repeated again. "The door is already unlocked by the way," he chuckled, releasing her. He picked up her keys and cell phone and opened the door, stepping inside.

She followed him in, cautiously. The butterflies were still swarming her insides."Are you really going to pretend like nothing happened?" She took her shoes off and placed her jacket on the table.

Ratchet paused. "How else are we supposed to forget and move on?" He folded his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't understand why you just can't accept me for who and what I am."

"Because you never even told me from the _start_!" She yelled back. "Because you expect me to just say 'hey, okay you're a giant alien robot from a completely different planet, but you know what, I'm okay with that!' Well, you know what? I'm _not_ going to say that! Okay, I am basically scarred for life-"

"Scarred for life?" Ratchet repeated. Luciana mentally slapped herself.

"Ratchet I didn't mean it like that-"

"I scarred you for life?" He asked. "Am _I_ really that bad? Is finding out my true species really going to affect you for the rest of your life?"

"What, were you expecting that it wouldn't?" She asked, her voice full of disbelief.

He laughed bitterly. "Well, I was expecting it to _change_ your life, but I was hoping it would at least be for the better not the worst!" She was silent at that, so he continued. "And you're not acting like this because you're scared! This is _prejudice_."

"Prejudice?" Luciana repeated, her eyes wide. "How the hell is this prejudice?"

"Well, if you're not prejudice then what the hell are you?" Ratchet snapped.

"I'm _scared_!" She screamed, tears pouring down her face. Ratchet's eyes softened. "Alright? I'm scared. I'm pregnant, my hormones are all screwy and now I have to deal with a husband from a completely different race from a totally unknown planet! What else do you _want_ from me, Ratchet?"

"I want you to love me for me!" He yelled back. "That's _all_ I ever asked for! I may look different on the outside and have different customs, but I am really no different than you!" He paused for a second. "And how do you think I feel as you're telling me all of this?"

"I don't know!" She hollered, sliding to the floor, her back against a wall. "I don't have all the answers to your questions, Ratchet."

With a sigh, he walked over to her and bent down to her level. He placed a hand on her knee. "Luciana, I know this is difficult for you, because it is for me, too. You need to understand that you are carrying _my_ child, as well. You're crazy if you think I'm going to walk out on the both of you." He let out a deep intake of breath. Placing his hand under her chin, he lifted her head up so she was looking at him. "Look at me. Am I really different on the inside?" Her eyes looked away. "Please, look at me, Luci." She did. "Am I?"

She shook her head slowly and her forehead and eyes wrinkled as more, tiny rain drops fell from her eyes. Ratchet pulled his hand away and sighed. He leaned back and sat down on the floor in front of her. He ran his hands down his face and looked at the wall, away from Luciana.

Before he had time to react, he saw Luciana lunge forward and before he could say anything, her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. He looked down, shocked and then slowly, _very_ slowly, his arms enveloped her torso.

He shut his eyes and inhaled, feeling her head rest against his chest.

* * *

><p><strong>Meh? :D Good? Yes? No?<strong>

**This was kinda tough. I wasnt sure if I should have kept the whole 'feud' going, but then I decided against it because it would just become a broken record and I didnt want every chapter to be the same 'omg they're still mad at each other' thing. xD**

**I have some plans for future chapters so we'll see how they work out! Thank you all so much for the reviews!**

**I had a hard time concentrating on typing the end of this chapter because I was too busy crying my eyes out listening to the titanic opening song! Hahaha. - http: / www. youtube. com / watch ?v= egZh5hcZGm4**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ratchet may seem a bit OOC in this chapter, but, honestly, I'm doing it on purpose because 1) He's married to a human; he's going to be more affectionate just for having a significant other regardless. 2) This is fan'fiction' and the motto is 'unleash your imagination'. xD haha THIS is my imagination! ;)**

**p.s.- This chapter's a bit boring.. in my opinion.. it's mainly just a 'filler', if you will, until I can get an idea in my head.**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Ratchet's eyes opened slowly and groggily. He closed them again and rolled over on his side. A sudden emptiness swelled in his gut and he opened his eyes again and furrowed his eyebrows. Luciana wasn't there. He sat up and checked the time on the digital clock. It was 8:15am.<p>

She was usually still asleep.

Sighing, he climbed out of the bed and headed downstairs. He noticed her sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched television. When she saw him, she smiled faintly. "Hey."

"You alright?" He asked, passing her a curious stare.

She nodded, "Yeah. I'm fine. I, um, woke up a bit early, that's all." She shrugged it off.

He nodded, "I see." He walked over and sat down on the opposite side of the couch. He wasn't sure why, but something told him that she was still uncomfortable about everything that had happened. He turned to her abruptly. "Look-"

"Ratchet," she interrupted. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Luci, don't promise me something that you can't keep," he told her. She only looked away. "You know if you ever need to talk about it, you _can_."

"I know," she told him, but she didn't look back at him. Her eyes remained focused to the television screen. "I just need to get used to it." When Ratchet sighed and leaned back in the couch further, she gave him a confused look. "Why are you acting so frustrated?"

His eyes widened and he looked at her. "What? I'm not. I'm just.. I dunno what I am," he looked away, rubbing his face. "I guess I don't understand what there is to get used to. I'm still the same person."

"Hm," was all she replied with, he eyebrow raised.

"Why are you acting so different than you were last night?" He asked, not to start an argument, but just out of curiosity.

"I guess I'm just the one who's frustrated," she admitted. "This is all starting to hit me and I'm also not over the fact that you completely embarrassed me in front of my friends. I can't believe you'd ever, _ever_, assume that I would cheat on you."

His eyes widened dramatically, "Ha! Okay, so I admit I may have thought that for a second, but then I realized that even if you were, it would never have worked out with him."

"Why's that?" She asked, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Well, for starters, he's _totally_ not your type," Ratchet replied. Luciana looked away, back at the television, as she bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. She knew what he was doing and it was working. "_And_, he was definitely.. uh, what's the word- Oh yeah; gay."

"_Gay_?" That was it; she burst out laughing. "I hate to break it to you, but he's definitely not gay."

"Sure he is," Ratchet insisted. "Every guy you know besides me is."

"Oh, right," she laughed and rolled her eyes. Then she smirked, "But you don't want to know how I _know_ he's not gay."

Ratchet frowned and glared at that after taking a few seconds to contemplate what she had just told him. "Conversation not funny anymore."

"I'm just kidding," she continued her laughing. "So, what's gotten into you? Usually you don't joke around that much like that."

He shrugged. "Just trying to make you feel better."

"I hate that it's working," she replied with a smirk, biting her lip while looking at him from the corner of her eye.

He snorted, "You _hate_ that it's working?"

"You're acting really weird right now," she pointed out, changing the subject immediately while folding her arms and digging herself deeper in the cushion of the couch. Her eyebrow raised slowly. "You're all... I dunno; giddy. Excited, maybe? Too happy? Why is that?"

He shrugged. "I'm trying to be more human for you."

She rolled her eyes and flashed her teeth in a smile. "Ratchet, you don't need to _be _more human for me. It's not like I'm going to pick up and leave you just because you're from somewhere else. I just need to get used to this. It's gonna be weird for a while, but I'm trying."

"Can you try over here, at least?" He asked, pouting his face jokingly and tapping the cushion of the couch next to him with his palm.

Luciana smiled and looked over at him for a while before nodding slowly and scooting herself closer to him. "I guess I could." She felt his arm hesitantly wrap around her shoulders and it was then that she remembered what it was like before she discovered his true identity.

"I want to take you back to the base and introduce you to everybody properly," he suddenly spoke, and Luciana could feel the nervousness in his voice.

Her head snapped up and she met his eyes with her own. "Now?"

He shrugged, "Sure. If you want?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "That's up to you. I don't mind, but isn't everybody busy?"

"The lazy fraggers can make time," he growled, but she could hear the playfulness in his voice.

She laughed, "I take it you're the 'hard-ass' of the base?"

He chuckled and shrugged, "I get that a lot. Uh," he sighed and laughed at the same time. "I have a wrench-throwing habit, apparently. I'm known to dent mechs more than I fix them."

"Well, that explains the time you threw the toolbox," she laughed; her entire body vibrating against him.

He frowned, "What are you talking about? I couldn't get it to open."

"Ratchet, it was _locked_. There _is_ a key for it," she snorted. "All you had to do was ask for it."

"Well, it opened after it hit the wall, anyways," he shrugged. "But.. unfortunately, didn't close when I was finished with it."

"That's 'cause you broke the damn thing," she rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," he poked her side playfully, but his hand stayed, and his palm gently traced her stomach. She couldn't help but crack a small grin as she watched. "I can't even believe this," he murmured, his blue eyes glued to his hand.

"What?" Luciana whispered, smiling up at his face, examining the features of his face and eyes. She loved his eyes. They were the most vibrant blue she'd ever seen. They were beautiful.

He shook his head, as if he, himself, were unsure. "Just this. The fact that I'm actually with the person I love and I'm about to be a father at the same time." He noticed her frown and frowned himself. "What's wrong?"

She looked away, obviously trying to hold back small tears. She shrugged, "I just.. I dunno. I feel awful. I was so caught up feeling sorry for myself about the whole 'you being an alien' situation, I didn't even stop to think about _your_ feelings and how you must've felt through it all."

"You don't need to worry about me," Ratchet tried to reassure her, pulling her in closer to him. "I should have told you from the beginning."

Silence.. and then-

"Remember when you asked me if I would've stayed had you told me your secret earlier?"

He paused and then slowly nodded his head. "Yes?"

She looked at him finally, her facial expression mostly blank and at first, he could almost guess what she was about to say. Then, she smiled. "I would've stayed."

He paused for a brief moment, absorbing her words. He had to admit, he was more than excited, but then, he laughed and shoved her away playfully. "You would not have!"

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks for ruining the moment."

He laughed aloud. "I'm kidding with you. I believe you."

"_Right_," she snorted. "But I'm serious. I wouldn't have left. I mean, I wish you would've told me when my hormones weren't pulling me in a million directions all at once!' She released a laugh, which sounded more like multiple puffs of air out of her nose.

He rolled his eyes. "Actually, you _women_ are just a pain in the aft to deal with twenty-four/seven."

"Pfft," she scoffed. "_Please._ Like you _men_ are any better!"

"Hey, back on my home planet, I was known to have the sharpest CPU; or brain in your terms," he told her. "Females from all over the planet wanted me." At that, Luciana snorted and covered her mouth, trying to mute her laughter. It wasn't working. He frowned. "What, you don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you," she told him once she calmed down. "But, what I don't get is.. why the hell didn't you go for one of them? I mean.. if, before I met you, every _guy_ wanted me in the world, I'd probably find somebody quick and easy, you know?"

He chuckled and looked down at the floor. "I understand where you're coming from. I um," he cleared his throat. "I guess I was saving myself for the right one." He looked over at her.

Luciana blushed and looked away. "Shut up," she groaned, smirking. "I mean, you had to at least have _dated_!"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged. "I 'dated', as you human's call it, but nothing worked as planned. It was as if I just wasn't meant to have a sparkmate in my life. So, to make up for it, I continued to do what I do best; being a medical officer."

"And you picked _me_?" She asked, laughing.

He raised an eyebrow, "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, I was just kidding," she smirked.

He chuckled, shaking his head. He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Everybody on base comments on how much my attitude has changed since I met you; for the better, of course." He looked at her, his eyes burning passionately into her own. "You make me a better person, Luci. I want you to always remember that."

No real words could ever describe the satisfying feeling that was growing in Luciana's stomach. The only real way to show it, was with a soft smile and a simple, but passionate, kiss on his lips. Pulling away, the two remained in that position with her head resting gently against his chest; locked away in each other's arms for what seemed like forever.

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><p><strong>haha yeah, yeah. A bit mushy at the end, but hopefully not too boring. I really needed to get this chapter out before my writer's block got too out of control. :(<strong>

**I'll try and update soon! Thank you all so much for the reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is one of the main reasons why this story is rated T. This chapter contains some 'sexual' material, but it's nothing big. Kind of another filler but I tried to make it more interesting! I'm sorry for the long wait! Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! I'll try to respond to them soon!**

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><p>Ratchet stirred silently from his sleep, his eyes still closed. The sunlight peaking through the blinds refreshed him and he sighed quietly to himself. He allowed his chest to rise up and down slowly with each passing breath. He'd never felt more at p-<p>

Ratchet jumped up suddenly before he could think anymore. Was it him, or did he hear a cry for help? Looking at the side of the best Luciana usually slept, his spark raced when she wasn't there. Flipping the blankets off of him, he dashed out of the bedroom.

He heard loud gagging and coughing coming from the bathroom and he burst through the door.. only to find his wife on her knees and her face near the toilet.

"Luci!" Ratchet gasped, crouching down next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Morning sickness," she breathed. Then, without warning, she coughed into the toilet, but nothing came out of her mouth. "I hate this. Do we have like.. meds or something I can take?"

"No," Ratchet shook his head. "It's highly recommended that you take nothing. Morning sickness is natural during pregnancy."

"What about like... herbal stuff?" She asked.

"I'm afraid I can't give you that, either," Ratchet sighed. "Herbs change the chemicals in your body to help combat the feelings of nausea. Usually there's room for exceptions.. but.. seeing since I'm not from around here and this is my child, too, I'm not sure of the effect it will have."

Luciana groaned and then it turned into tears. She leaned back, her knees coming up to her chest. She wept in her arms. "This _sucks_." Before Ratchet could stop it, he snorted. This earned him a glare from his wife. "What the _hell_ are you laughing at?"

"I've studied a lot about human pregnancies," he began. "I've read the symptoms and some of them amused me. I just never thought I'd be witnessing them for myself."

"You're an asshole," she blurted, but seemed to not care. "This isn't _amusing_! I'm.." she paused for a quick breath, "sitting here, _puking_ my guts out and you wanna sit there and _laugh_ at me?"

"Well, what else do you want me to do?" Ratchet asked with a shrug.

Luciana growled and smacked a hand against him. "Make me _feel_ better! You're a doctor, aren't you?"

Ratchet jokingly backed away (he realized this could be used for his amusement..) and gave her an odd look. "You might want to shower first. It looks like you shoved your face in a bowl of baby food." Luciana opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a high-pitched gasp. "I'm kidding!" Ratchet laughed aloud, grabbing her before she could stand up.

"No!" She tried breaking free from his hold, but it was too tight. "Lemme go, Ratch'. It's not funny."

"Oh, come on," Ratchet smiled placing a kiss on her cheek. "Loosen up, sweetspark. There's nothing on your face."

Rolling her eyes playfully, Luciana stood up slowly, flushed the toilet and went over to the sink. Pulling out her toothbrush, she got it ready with toothpaste and began to brush. When she was done and the brush was back where it belonged, she turned around to exit the bathroom, but Ratchet was blocking the way.

"What're you looking at?" She asked.

He smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders lightly. "Are you mad at me?" He raised an eyebrow at his own question.

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes before smiling faintly herself. ".._No_. I guess not."

"Good," he chuckled, bending down to kiss her cheek again. Before he could pull away, she captured his lips with hers and he flinched from surprise, but quickly gave in. Her hands held the back of his neck firmly and he placed his on her waist, pulling her in to him.

Calm breaths turned into short, rapid pants in between kisses and Luciana's hands slid down his chest and rested on his abdomen. Ratchet felt himself being pushed backwards slowly and soon, he found his back against the bathroom wall.

It had been too long since they'd shared a moment like this and Ratchet was barely able to realize how much he missed it. His fingers brushed her hair gently with his right hand as his left remained glued to her waist.. but.. slowly, it lowered, and lowered.. and low-

"Luci," Ratchet gasped suddenly, pulling away. "We can't.. I mean.. we can, it's just.. _why_ are you suddenly like this?"

"Why?" She asked, a worried expression on her face. "Is that bad?"

"No!" He nearly yelled from surprise. "No, no," he chuckled. "It's.. not bad at all, I just don't want you to think that I'm pressuring you into doing anything since I'm not too sure if you're ready to be with me because I'm a-"

"Ratch'!" Luciana snapped. "Slowly."

Ratchet shut his eyes and sighed before opening them again. "I just want to make sure you're ready. You know.. seeing since I _am_ from a different planet. I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to do something you don't want to."

She looked away; down at the floor. "I know, but I'm trying to make things better again."

"Well, if this is the way you plan on doing it," Ratchet began with a smirk, "then, by all means, _continue!_"

She laughed and shook her head, her squinted, glowing eyes staring back into his own. "In all honesty, I think this is just another symptom of being pregnant. I read online that you can have a major sex drive."

"Oh, well that's disappointing," Ratchet frowned. "I thought for a second there that this was all on your own will."

Once again, she laughed and shook her head. "You know what? Let's pretend it is on my own will." She took his hand in hers and led him out of the bathroom.

As they walked towards the bedroom, Ratchet raised an eyebrow. "It's a bit too early to go back to bed."

She rolled her eyes and paused just before they reached the door. "And where _else_ would we go?"

"I have an idea if you're gutsy enough to try it?" He asked with a smirk, folding his arms.

She folded her arms, too and gave him a sassy look. "Oh, _really_? What? Is this a challenge?"

"You up for it?" He asked, holding out his hand. "If good interface is what you're looking for, then I can make it happen."

"Interface?" She asked.

"Sex," he corrected quickly. "Quit ruining the mood," he joked. "Anyway, you wanna try?"

After seeming to contemplate it for _hours_, Luciana finally reached her hand out to his and took it firmly. "Lead me away, Doctor Ratchet. And you better make this _great_!"

He chuckled, his childish grin remaining as they walked downstairs. "Oh, it will be." Luciana frowned when he opened the front door and took her out on the porch. Continuing to walk down the front porch steps, they reached the sidewalk and crossed the street.

When they stopped in front of the Hummer, Luciana's eyebrow sky-rocketed. "Uh, why are we _here_?"

Ratchet smirked and opened the rear doors of his alternate mode. Climbing in the back, he turned around and reached out his hand. "Ask questions later. You coming in, or what?" Luciana paused for a moment before reaching her hand out.

Taking his hand, he helped hull her up in the back of the Hummer and then he closed the doors; locking them both in.

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><p><strong>LOL. Ratchet got a bit kinky.. weird, right?<strong>

**Hope you like!**

**ALSO: Before people ask, Luci will be re-meeting the Autobots soon. Just haven't decided when yet. I wanna give her some time away from all of 'em first!**

**Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

Luciana looked at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was completed and the top layer of her hair was currently rolled into hair curlers while the bottom layer remained straight. With a sigh, she began to take the curlers out. She enjoyed the way her hair looked like this.. it made her feel beautiful, even though Ratchet always argued that she was already gorgeous.

As soon as she fixed it to her liking and locked it in place with hairspray, she made sure everything else looked good before grabbing her purse off of the bed.

Today was the day she would be re-meeting the Autobots in their bipedal modes. Today was the day she would test her loyalty with Ratchet. She told herself that no matter what emotions filled her heart, she would always be there for him.

Grabbing her car keys, she walked out of the house after locking the door and got in her car. Ratchet would be waiting there for her because he'd already went there for work early that morning. She put the key in the ignition, but before she could actually turn the Monte Carlo on, a silver blur burned rubber as it came to a halt right beside her car.

Gasping, her neck snapped in the direction of the silver blur and she closed her eyes with relief when she realized who's car it was. It was Steve.. then she froze. Well, that's what she was _told_ his name was, anyway.

She watched as the 'human' got out of the car, which was a small Corvette Centennial Convertible, and sure enough, the blonde-haired boy dashed over to her door. She opened it, "Uh, h-hey, um, Steve."

"What's up?" he replied. "Oh, and call me Sideswipe. That's my real name. Anyway, Ratch' told me to come get you. He said it'd make you feel less alone and he doesn't like you driving under all this stress."

"Oh," she began. "Uh," was there really any room for argument? With a sigh, she nodded. "Okay, S-Sideswipe."

Helping her out of the car, the holoform opened up the passenger door to his alternate mode, and she climbed in. She looked at the interior of the car and was almost _drooling_ at how neat and organized everything looked. It may have been small, but it was one _hell_ of a comfortable ride.

"You okay?" He asked as they began to drive away from the house. He passed her a concerned look and continued to stare at her. It made her nervous that he wasn't paying attention to the road, but then it hit her that he _was_ the car, too.

She nodded and then they sat in silence for a minute.

"So, what do you do?" She finally asked.

He looked at her with a smirk, "Depends on what you mean."

"Like.. Jimmy's a weapons specialist, Ratchet's a medical officer-"

"I'm a practical joker," he replied, making Luciana burst out with laughter for the first time in a while. "I'm serious. You should _see_ all the dents in my bipedal mode that I have from Ratchet and his wrenches."

"Ratchet can't be _that _bad," she told him as they pulled up to a red light.

Sideswipe laughed out loud, coming to a stop. "Oh, boy, Luci. Wait 'till you're in the med bay all the time. I'll show you how he _really_ can be."

She frowned at that," Are you saying he's not-"

"himself around you?" Sideswipe finished with question. She nodded and he shook his head. "Nah, Ratchet really does love ya. He wouldn't ever fake that."

She couldn't help but smile. "I see. Okay, Sides."

"See. You're already calling me by my nickname. You'll get used to us pretty quick. We're just like humans.. except we look a bit different, that's all.. and we have different customs.. _and_ we're better drivers," he listed and Luciana couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry. We don't bite too hard." With a wink and a friendly hand on her shoulder and continued to drive onward to base.

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><p>A knock at the med bay door made Ratchet jump slightly and growl. He was trying to fix a data pad that had helplessly fallen to the floor and cracked on impact. Its internal memory was still intact, but the screen itself was completely busted. He needed that information that was stored inside it.. and with Wheeljack not on Earth yet, it was almost hopeless to fix by himself.<p>

He tossed it aside (gently) for now and walked over to answer the door. Opening it, he met the optics of Ironhide. "Can I help you? I was busy."

"Don't give me that attitude. You're wife is here," Ironhide replied. "Sideswipe just drove her through the gates."

Quickly transforming into his alternate mode, Ratchet drove out of the med bay while Ironhide followed. When Ratchet saw Luciana in the distance, standing next to Sideswipe's holoform, he mentally smiled to himself. It was soothing to see her on base, but at the same time, it could be bad. She was probably nervous, no doubt.

When he got closer, he didn't bother activating his holoform. Instead, he spoke through the radio. "Hey, Luc'."

She waved silently and then looked around. "So.." she began, but stopped when she saw more vehicles coming to surround her.

Ratchet noticed her heart rate increasing and he growled, "Would you imbeciles back up? Give her some space." He revved his engine angrily, inching forward.

The other did as told and Luciana couldn't help herself. She smiled. "So this is what you're really like?"

A loud snort echoed from the other side of her. She looked over to see Jimmy's big, black tank of a pickup truck sitting there. "Sometimes I wish he'd treat _me_ like his wife. Maybe I'd have less dents."

"Ironhide, I swear one day-"

Ratchet was cut off short when an even louder engine blared through the air. Luciana's neck snapped over in the direction of the noise and her eyes widened just a little when she saw the massive flamed Peterbilt making its way towards them. She'd seen the truck before, but knowing what it _really _was made her nervous.

As it came to a halt, pieces of its metal began to shift and grow bigger and taller. She had to take a step back just to prevent herself from falling over by craning her neck too much. _God, was he tall.._

Finally, it all ended and everything was silent. The only thing audible were the tiny noises of compressed air as the giant leaned down towards her. She watched as the robot-looking being held out a finger to her. "My name is Optimus Prime. I'm the leader of the Autobots. We've met before, but I believe this is more appropriate."

Hesitating, she reached out her hand to gently shake the finger. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Optimus."

Without replying to her, he stood up straight and looked at his comrades. "Alright, Autobots; transform."

And so, they did.

Ironhide was the first to complete the process and he bent down to her level. "Luci. You knew me as Jimmy, but now you can call me by my real designation, Ironhide."

She nodded once and then squinted her eyes. She reached her hand out gently and placed her fingers next to his optic. He wasn't sure how to react, so he just stood there, not wanting to hurt her. "What happened to your eye?"

Everybody froze, knowing the weapons specialist got touchy about the topic of his optic. The giant scar that crossed its path was a bad enough reminder of the hell he'd gone through.

"It doesn't matter," Ironhide replied gently, to everybody's surprise.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" She asked, flinching her hand away, realizing then that she could be making it hurt worse if it did.

He shook his head slowly. "Not physically." With a quick sound that reminded her of a clear of the throat, he stood tall and pointed to another Autobot. "This here is Bumblebee. He's out main scout, but he communicates through the radio due to the fact his vocal processors are damaged badly." Luciana smiled when he waved and she waved back. He was cute, she could admit. "Other than that, this is all of us, but we're scheduled to receive more Autobots soon."

Stepping back, she eyed every single one of them before nervously speaking. "So.. you guys are all here to protect, right?"

"Of course," Ratchet replied for her. Optimus nodded, allowing Ratchet to speak for him instead. If there was one thing Optimus understood, it was that Ratchet would move heaven and Earth to keep her safe. He bent down on one knee. "And we always will be."

With a big intake of air, Luciana let it all out and paused, looking around at them all once more. Then, folding her arms, she nodded slowly and the smallest of smiles formed across her face. "Well," she began, nodding her head once. "I think I can live with this."

And that was when Ratchet closed his optics gently, smiling with relief.

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><p><strong>Not sure about this one yet. I'm running low on ideas, so this is where I ask that if you have anything you'd like to see, I take all ideas into consideration. :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, so, please note that I looked up Robert Epps's wife's name and it is Monique, so I do not own her. She counts as an actual character and is not an OC of mine. Just an FYI!**

**Also, this is kinda alternate universe. After you read this chapter, see the Author's Note at the end and I will explain everything.**

**ALSO: THANK YOU Foxbear FOR THE IDEA! I haven't forgotten about all you other reviewers' ideas, so don't worry!**

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><p>Even though Luciana had said herself, in front of every Autobot, that she could live with knowing an alien race and being married to one, Ratchet's doubt had slowly entered his mind. Although she seemed to be fine, he could tell something was missing.. and that something was her love.<p>

She looked at him differently, talked to him differently.. and even _talked_ about him to others differently. He was lucky if she called him by his first name and not The Medic or The Hummer. Sure she acknowledged his hologram normally.. but if she was going to get used to him in his true form, she would have to start quickly.

"Is everything okay, Ratchet?"

The medic snapped his attention to the new voice. Startled, he turned around and looked down towards the ground. Sure enough, Sarah Lennox was standing there, looking more than concerned. Ratchet nodded, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I came in to say hi real quick, and you were staring off into space." She smiled with a chuckle. "You wanna spill it?"

"Spill-?" he began, but stopped himself when he understood what she meant. "I don't think you would be interested in hearing it." He knew how easily bored humans could get, and didn't want to waster he time with his issues.

"Well, I'm asking, aren't I?" She smirked, folding her arms. "Come on, tell me. I swear I'll listen and try to help out as much as possible."

With a sigh and a few moments of thought, he did answer. "It's my wife, Luciana. You haven't met her yet, have you?" When Sarah shook her head, Ratchet continued. "She just discovered about my true identity, and.." he released an agitated sigh mixed with a growl. "I'm not sure, but she just hasn't been the same."

"I can understand where she's coming from, Ratch'," Sarah explained. "When Will first brought Ironhide, it was a totally new experience and took _months_ for me to get used to. Then I realized how important Ironhide was going to be in my life, and I eventually accepted it. I'm sure she's feeling the same way, and I'm even more sure she'll come around just like I did."

Ratchet sighed and there was a hint of disappointment in it. "But we're married. That is a totally different situation."

"Not as different as you think," Sarah told him. Then, she unfolded her arms. "Look, I'll talk to her for you and see what she says. Maybe I can hang out with her and let her see how the Autobots interact with humans to help her feel more comfortable. Does that sound like a plan?"

Ratchet took a few seconds alone with his thoughts to think about this. Then, he raised an eye ridge. "You would do this for me?" When Sarah nodded, he did, too. "I'll accept your offer. Thanks, Sarah."

Sarah smiled. "Anytime, Ratchet. Anything for a friend."

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><p>"So, how do you like it so far?"<p>

Luciana smiled at the woman who just asked her that question. This woman had soft, ebony skin. Long, dark hair that reached the center of her back and a name that proved her to be the wife of Robert Epps. She was Monique Epps.

Luciana shrugged, still smiling. "It's different. I'm trying to get used to it, you know?"

"You will," Monique laughed. "I know I did."

"Oh, awesome, you two've met already!" Luciana turned her head just in time to see another woman walking their way. Before either of the girls could reply, the unfamiliar blonde-haired woman reached her hand out to Luciana. "I'm Sarah Lennox, Will's wife. It's nice to meet you finally!"

Luciana smiled, "Oh! Yeah, it's nice to meet you, too."

"Have you seen Rob?" Monique asked Sarah.

Sarah snorted. "Of course not. He's probably helping Will show off Annie."

Monique chuckled and Luciana cleared her throat. "So, how long have you guys known about the Autobots?"

"About two years," Sarah answered for her. "Not a very long time, but we got used to it pretty fast. Annabelle just _adored_ Ironhide."

"Who is Annabelle?" Luciana asked, smiling politely.

Sarah's grin showed Luciana just how happy she truly was. "Annie's my daughter. She's a little over seven months old."

Luciana chuckled while smiling. "She's not scared of them at all?"

"Nah," Sarah shook her head. Then, she paused. "Here, I'll show you. Come on!" Sarah motioned her hand for Luciana to follow, and seeing since she had nothing else to do, the wife of the Autobot CMO followed. When they finally find Will and Rob, Sarah took Annabelle from his arms. "Where's Ironhide?"

"Firing range, I'd imagine," Will responded. He nodded at Luciana. "Hey, Luci." He shook her hand. "Why, what's up?" He looked back at his wife.

"Has he seen Annie, yet?" Sarah asked.

"Nope, not that I know of."

Sarah nodded and smiled at Luciana. "Okay, good. Come on, Luc'."

Luciana followed Sarah and Monique to the firing range, and sure enough, the faint sound of cannon fire was heard. It got louder and louder until finally, Ironhide was in sight. Sensing the humans' presence, the black mech turned around and looked down at the four girls.

"Hello, Sarah," Ironhide nodded down at her. "Mrs. Epps. Luciana." He nodded at the other two. Then, gently, he bent down, getting close to Sarah. "Ah, little Annie."

"She sure is growing, ain't she?" Monique smiled.

Ironhide nodded in agreement. "She is."

"Wanna hold her?" Sarah asked softly.

Luciana's heart thumped, her anxiety kicking in. Wouldn't he surely drop her? She folded her arms, watching the scene carefully. Ironhide held out his hand and Sarah gently placed her little girl inside his palm. Slowly, Ironhide lifted himself up to his full height. "She is lovely," the mech commented, to Luciana's surprise.

How could something so big be so gentle? So kind? It was all finally starting to hit her. These Autobots truly were not bad. A little different, but not bad at all.

Sarah laughed. "For once, she isn't screaming. I think you have magical Cybertronian powers against human children," she snorted. Ironhide only chuckled, bending back down so Sarah could have her baby again and Luciana's tense muscles relaxed. "Wanna hold her, too?" Sarah asked her and Luciana smiled just a little.

She nodded, taking the child from Sarah's arms and cradling her against her body. "I guess I'll be doing this pretty soon." She laughed.

"Yup," Sarah smiled.

"It must be a lot of work," Luciana frowned.

"It is," Monique nodded with a full-hearty laughed. "Believe me, it is."

"But I'm sure Ratchet will help you out as much as he can," Sarah placed a hand on Luciana's shoulder. "Just as much as I'm sure he loves you both." Sarah saw the look Luciana was giving her, and instantly knew what was going to happen. Taking Annabelle from her arms, Sarah handed the small girl to Monique. "Watch her for a second please?"

Monique nodded. "Sure thing."

Turning back to the other woman, Sarah placed a hand on her back and guided her away from the others. When they got in a more private area, that's when it happened.

Luciana burst into tears, flinging her arms around Mrs. Lennox.

"It's alright," Sarah closed her eyes, hugging Luciana back. "I know what you're going through sweetie. I've felt _every_ single one of those emotions before, and let me be completely honest with you without sounding too cliché.. it gets better."

Luciana shook her head. "Things are just so different now. I have a million emotions flowing through my mind and I just want to be _happy_ like I used to. Is that so much to ask for?"

"No," Sarah shook her head, pulling away to look her in the face. "Not at all, babe, but you have to realize that he's thinking the same thing. He's afraid you won't look at him the same or talk to him the same. He needs you more than he's ever needed anything right now and it's your job to be there for him through thick and thin."

"I know," Luciana whispered, closing her eyes while wiping away the tears. She sniffled. "I know I do and I'm trying, but it's so hard right now."

"You know what I want you to do?" Sarah asked, wiping the hair away from the other girl's face. "I want you to go see Ratchet and give him the biggest hug you can possibly create. It'll make _you_ feel better and it'll make _him_ feel better. I promise."

Luciana nodded, still wiping tears from her face. "Okay."

"Go ahead," Sarah smiled.

With one last nod, Luciana turned around and walked the opposite way.

When she got to the med bay, she took a deep breath before opening the door slowly. Thankfully, Ratchet was already in his holoform, his alternate mode sitting not too far by.

Immediately noticing her presence, he turned around from where he stood and his eyes softened when he saw her. "Hey, Luci'," he greeted quietly, taking note to her still red and slightly puffy eyes.

"Hey," she repeated back, still a little breathless from her previous crying.

Ratchet walked closer to her, not really expecting anything but a quick, awkward chat, but as soon as he got close enough, he was shocked when her arms wrapped around his torso and his wife's head was buried in his shirt.

Speechless, he wrapped his own arms around her and pulled her down to the floor with him, holding her in the embrace.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, yeah, I got cute at the end, but who cares? They deserved it. ;P<strong>

**Okay, so remember how I mentioned the alternate universe? Well, I'm sure you noticed. Here's the explanation:**

**Sarah Lennox told Luciana that she met the Autobots two years ago, but she said that Annabelle isn't even a year old yet. (So, if you've seen the first movie, which I'm sure a lot of you have, you should already know that according to the movie, Annabelle was technically born before the Autobots even arrived on Earth. In this story, I'm changing it up a bit.)**

**Also, Luciana has been married to Ratchet for five years, which means she's technically known an Autobot longer than Sarah and Monique (she just didn't know Autobots existed.. lol)**

**Hope that clears things up.**


	12. Chapter 12

So, I really don't care if I'm breaking fanfiction rules, but I just wanted to make this author's note to tell you all that I DID NOT forget about you! I just went through surgery, and I'm in a lot of pain for now. I'll probably be back to posting new chapters later. Right now the pain isn't so bad, so I figured I'd get this note out real quick.

Sorry guys! I'll hope to update all of my stories by the end of the week depending on how things go!

Thanks!

Sam/Demonator


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